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Abu Dhabi invites companies for greenfield solar project

By Pramod Kumar
The Zarraf solar PV project will support Abu Dhabi’s goal of sourcing over 50% of its electricity from renewable and clean energy by 2030 Wam
The Zarraf solar PV project will support Abu Dhabi’s goal of sourcing over 50% of its electricity from renewable and clean energy by 2030

Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has invited expressions of interest (EoI) for a new greenfield solar project in the Al Dhafra region.

The Zarraf solar PV independent power project, with a generation capacity of 1.5 gigawatts (GW), will match the scale of similar projects such as Al Dhafra, Al Ajban and Khazna, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported.

Once operational, the project will supply power to 160,000 homes across the UAE and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tonnes annually, boosting Ewec’s total solar power capacity to 7 GW.

The cost of the project was not given.

Zarraf is Ewec’s fifth utility-scale solar PV project, in line with its plan to add 1.4 GW of new solar capacity each year between 2027 and 2037.

The project will support Abu Dhabi’s goal of sourcing over 50 percent of its electricity from renewable and clean energy by 2030, with a target of 60 percent by 2035.

Chief executive officer Othman Al Ali said that the Zarraf solar PV project is a crucial step in accelerating the UAE’s energy transition.  

The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the solar PV plant and associated infrastructure.  

The EoI submission deadline is October 22.

Ewec will issue a request for qualifications outlining pre-qualification criteria and the bidding process after reviewing EOIs.

A request for proposal will be released after securing regulatory approval.

In February, Bruce Smith, strategy and planning executive director at Ewec, told AGBI that Abu Dhabi will launch a new solar power project each year for a decade.

Ewec is the single off-taker of water and electricity in the emirate, responsible for procuring sufficient production capacity and fuel to meet water and electricity demands.

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